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Senior Indian batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are poised to make their return to international cricket, with the All India Selection Committee expected to announce the squad for India’s upcoming Australia tour on Saturday. Both veterans are likely to feature in the ODI lineup, marking their first international appearances since the Champions Trophy. The two stalwarts had stunned fans earlier by announcing their retirements from red-ball cricket during the IPL, just before the England tour, leaving a leadership gap in the Test side. Their return is highly anticipated, adding experience and firepower to India’s 50-over setup.
The selectors are likely to select the squads on Saturday, the third day of the ongoing first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad.
During the Champions Trophy, Kohli was in superb form, scoring a century against Pakistan and topping the charts in the semi-final against Australia. Rohit, meanwhile, overcame a lean patch to deliver a match-winning innings against New Zealand in the final, showcasing his ability to rise to big occasions once again. India won the title, making it the second ICC trophy under Rohit’s captaincy within a year. However, BCCI is keeping an eye on the future for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with Rohit’s captaincy under the scanner.
According to a report on Cricbuzz, the board will discuss Rohit’s captaincy future in the selection meeting with him directly on Saturday.
Rohit has already passed his fitness Test at the NCA. He has been working hard to get in shape after a seven-month layoff from international cricket. Several reports suggest that a fitness test for Kohli was conducted in London, which he passed quite comfortably.
A hint about Kohli and Rohit’s presence in the squad could be the official promotional teaser that broadcasters released for the ODI series with portraits of the two white ball legends.
Selectors to pick injured Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant’s alternates
Meanwhile, the big task for the selectors is to find the alternates for Hardik Pandya, sidelined with a quadriceps injury, and Rishabh Pant, recovering from a foot fracture, will miss the upcoming limited-overs matches. Test captain Shubman Gill, who has just led India in the Asia Cup and is set to play a two-Test series within three days, faces a heavy workload. Considering the tight schedule and the physical demands, selectors may opt to rest him from either the ODI or T20I leg, or even both formats, to ensure he remains fit and fresh for the longer-format challenges ahead.
